How much travel? Moots, has been doing short travel pivotless wishbone suspension since 1991 on their titanium YBB frames, and before that on steel. I can remember some KHS softail frames and Litespeed Unicoi frames that also had either a spring or a shock at the wishbone. I don't know what their pivot setup looked like, if there were pivots. The GT LTS was a longer travel and more complicated version of this.
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Yes, the soft tails are short travel and pivotless. However some were available with a damped shock.
For another linkage rear end similar to the LTS, search for the Specialized M2 Stumpjumper.
For more of a linear design inspiration with pivots, look at the Proflex bikes from the early 90's. Their lower end bikes (300-400 series) used regular chainstays and a traditional looking diamond frame shape with an inline urethane spring while their higher end bikes used elevated chainstays. Originally all of the models came with urethane bumpers but later there were some damped shocks used.
One thing that you have to deal with in having a linear design is a very small amount of space in which to have your shock fit between the seat tube and the rear wheel, especially if you go 29er. The builder of my small frame soft tail 29er had to use a taller than necessary seat tube in order to fit the suspension slider between the wheel and seat tube and then renforce the seat tube to the top tube on the front.
![Bicycle Pipeline transport Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Bicycle handlebar]()
For another linkage rear end similar to the LTS, search for the Specialized M2 Stumpjumper.
For more of a linear design inspiration with pivots, look at the Proflex bikes from the early 90's. Their lower end bikes (300-400 series) used regular chainstays and a traditional looking diamond frame shape with an inline urethane spring while their higher end bikes used elevated chainstays. Originally all of the models came with urethane bumpers but later there were some damped shocks used.
One thing that you have to deal with in having a linear design is a very small amount of space in which to have your shock fit between the seat tube and the rear wheel, especially if you go 29er. The builder of my small frame soft tail 29er had to use a taller than necessary seat tube in order to fit the suspension slider between the wheel and seat tube and then renforce the seat tube to the top tube on the front.
That is the one I was trying to think of.![]()
The Specialized Ground Control was probably the closest design to what you'd like to do.
Thanks @dr.welby! Hope all is well with you!
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